The ROAR Podcast: Jackie Krutz

Jackie Krutz started her career as a therapist. Today she leads development at Titletown, the Green Bay Packers’ 45-acre mixed-use district just west of Lambeau Field.

In this episode, co-host Caroline Valvardi talks with Jackie about her unusual path. She left counseling psychology for real estate during the 2008 downturn and helped shape community at Playa Vista in Los Angeles. Then a cold email to the Packers changed her trajectory. Jackie explains why roughly a quarter of Titletown is free public space, and how the Packers’ community ownership shapes the way the district is planned and run. She also describes what it took to prove that a market like Green Bay could support this kind of development.

The conversation also covers Titletown’s atypical financing model, the role of TIF in funding infrastructure, and how the district reset local expectations for rents and home prices. Jackie shares a surprising data point from Titletown Flats: residents who leave their units are often upgrading to bigger apartments in the same building.

00:00 Welcome and introduction

00:32 From therapist to real estate

03:00 The Hail Mary email to the Packers

05:49 What is Titletown?

07:40 Beyond game day: year-round activation

09:31 Lessons from Playa Vista

12:55 Community ownership as a differentiator

15:07 Balancing residents, tenants, and visitors

18:41 Challenges, opportunities, and the next parcels

23:56 Economic impact on Green Bay

26:00 Resetting market expectations

29:54 The capital stack: how Titletown was funded

32:24 Why TIF matters

35:15 Building public support

37:45 Data and AI in decision-making

42:22 The surprising apartment data

45:03 Becoming a Packers fan 46:36 Impact and legacy